Progress of project Rail Baltica/Rail Baltic 2016

DZL and its partners use cookies and similar technology to collect and analyse information about the users of this website. We use this information to enhance the content, and other services available on this site. You can find more details in our
Privacy Policy.

Date and Venue

30 November, 2016

11.00 AM – 3.00 PM

Dzelzceļa muzejs, Uzvaras bulvāris 2A, Rīga

The conference “Progress of project Rail Baltica/Rail Baltic 2016” is organized to illustrate progress made so far and to assure unity of the Baltic states in Rail Baltica/Rail Baltic project implementation by creating fast, safe and environment-friendly railway connection to Europe. Project implementation is executed in line with project schedule with planned design phase to be completed by 2019 and construction phase - by 2025.

Since October 2015 Baiba Anda Rubesa holds position of Executive Director and Chairperson of the Board in RB Rail AS, joint venture of three Baltic States. Till then, she has been pursuing consulting business and developing the new business RFactor SIA, acting also as a member of Council for the banks Citadele and DNB NORD. Baiba Rubesa for many years has worked at the Norway State Company Statoil ASA in the capacity of Vice-President for Corporative Social Responsibility. Before, she held the office of Director for Public Affairs, Labor Safety and Environment Protection in Statoil Azerbaijan. During the period from 2001 till 2008 she held position of Executive Director in Latvija Statoil SIA, the largest fuel retailer company in Latvia.

Her previous experience also includes position of Chairperson of the Foreign Investor Council in Latvia and Vice-President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At present, Baiba Rubesa is a Member of the Council for the Think Tank “Providus” and the Association “Kokneses Fonds”.

Presentation: Rail Baltica – Project for the future of the Baltics.

Presentation by Baiba Rubesa will include introduction to the key tasks of RB Rail for the following year and to the vision on cooperation with the national implementing authorities. Implementation of the Rail Baltica project currently requires consideration that this railway infrastructure is intended to be for use by customers after ten and more years. Baiba Rubesa in her presentation will analyze what should be taken into consideration to build the European standard width railway line Rail Baltica according to the customers’ preferences at the year 2030 by ensuring effective use of resources during construction period.

Since 2016 Kristjan Kaunissaare is Rail Baltic coordinator in Ministry of Economics Affairs and Communication of Estonia. Previously since 2013 he has worked as Advisor to the CEO, development manager of tram services/deputy director of tram services department at Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS. Kristjan Kaunissaare gained experience working at Tallinn Transport Department as well in Estonian Railway Administration.

Presentation: Project Rail Baltica in Estonia - current status and next steps.

Kristjan Kaunissaare in presentation will inform about the preparatory process concerning Rail Baltic project implementation in Estonia, including progress on county planning and environmental impact assessment process. He also will describe preliminary design of Rail Baltic route in Estonia and planed land acquisition activities.

Indrek Orav leads Rail Baltic Estonia, which is one of the implementing bodies for the Rail Baltica project in Estonia. 2004-2009 Indrek Orav worked in Estonian Railways first as one of the directors and later as a Management Board member. Rail Baltic Estonia is a company representing the interests of the Republic of Estonia in the Joint Venture RB Rail AS, set up by the three countries in Riga for management of the whole project. Indreks Orav has obtained a Master's degree in Law in Tartu University and degree in Diplomacy and International Relations in the Estonian School of Diplomacy.

Presentation: Project tasks 2016/2017.

Indrek Orav in presentation will describe implementation of Rail Baltic project activities in Estonia including information about ongoing procurement process as well as planned next activities.

Since 2016 Agnis Driksna is working at “European Railway Lines” in position of Director of Development and cooperation department. Since 2014, he had been the Rail Baltic Project Manager of the Ministry of Transport responsible for international cooperation; he prepared the first funding applications to the EU and represented Latvia in the joint projects of the Baltic States and the EU.

Presentation: Project Rail Baltica in Latvia - current status and next steps.

Presentation by Agnis Driksna will include an overview of the implementation progress of the Rail Baltica public railway infrastructure as well as key achievements and challenges in Latvia. Agnis Driksna during his presentation will inform about the Rail Baltica project implementation pattern in Latvia and established cooperation to ensure effective, transparent and timely implementation of the project that meets the strategic interests of Latvia.

Neils Balgalis is the founder of Grupa93 Ltd, being the Chairman of the Board thereof until 1994. Since 2012, Grupa93 is the leading player in the sector, specializing in the spatial planning, preparation of development planning documents on the regional level and implementation of development projects, as well as organization of the public discussion process. Neils Balgalis is a spatial planning expert with more than 20 years of international work experience in urban and regional development projects. He has implemented more than 120 urban and municipal spatial development projects, which are significant in the development of Latvia, as well as projects in Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and Finland. He has excellent moderator skills and experience in leading more than 700 seminars, discussions, debates and working groups.

Presentation: Rail Baltica route in the territory of Latvia.

As a part of presentation, Neils Balgalis will describe the key preconditions to the selected location of the Rail Baltica line in Latvia, the factors that have influenced it and the public involvement process. In conclusion of his presentation, Neils Balgalis will provide an insight in future work on the project.

Since January 2016 Kaspars Vingris is employed by European Railway Lines in the capacity of Director of Project Implementation Department. Since 2014, Kaspars Vingris has been managing the national survey of the Rail Baltica project in the Ministry of Transport. He has over ten years’ experience of work on implementation of public and private sector development projects. Social, economic, strategic and planning documents of different levels have been developed under his management. He has gained the experience of manager of social, economic, business planning and innovation projects. Kaspars Vingris holds a MA degree in political science and a MBA degree.

As a part of his presentation, Kaspars Vingris will tell about the complicated nature of the project and the key challenges faced in the implementation of this project which is the most extensive one in Latvia during the last hundred years. He will outline the performed and intended parts of the project in complex construction of Riga Railway Bridge and Riga Central Multimodal Public Transport Hub. Kaspars Vingris will inform about the key tasks for integration of the railway stations and the related infrastructure and overpass of the international airport Riga in the Rail Baltica project thus ensuring full connection with the expected expansion of the airport terminal.

Up to July 2015, Nerijus Kaučikas was the Head of Innovations and Developments Division, Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania. In this position, he was responsible for the coordination of the development of core corridors of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), coordination of the Intelligent Transport Systems Policy in Lithuania, as well as coordination of the electro-mobility program and of the intermodal transport and EU strategies. Before this position, for 4 years (2011-2014), Nerijus Kaučikas gained experience in EU institutions as the Transport Attache of the European Union, represented Lithuania to the EU formations in the field of intermodal and land transport. He was also responsible for cooperation with public and business associations and institutions based in Brussels. He was the Chairman of the EU Council Land Transport working group during the Lithuania Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Before that, he was the Head of Transport Policy Division, Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.

Presentation: Project Rail Baltica in Lithuania - current status and next steps.

Nerijus Kaučikas presentation will focus on the assessing the progress achieved in Lithuania while developing Rail Baltica project during the end of 2015 and the entire year of 2016. He also will describe opportunities and challenges facing the project in Lithuania. In addition Nerijus Kaučikas will give a view on the number of issues, which are of an importance for governmental institutions in Lithuania, will also be provided.

Since 2014 Dainius Budris is a director of JSC “Rail Baltica statyba”, Chairman and member of the Supervisory Board of RB Rail. 2013-2014 - Deputy director of the Division of Development at “Lithuanian Railways”. Dainius Budris worked as director of supermarkets (in charge of commercial, financial and marketing activities) in major retail operator “Rimi Lithuania”. In 2008 was elected as a member of Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and appointed as the Chair of the Committee on Economics.

Prezentācijas nosaukumus: Projekta uzdevumi 2016/2017.

In presentation Dainius Budris will explain about the project implementation status in Lithuania, including information about works that are done, being done at the moment and foreseen in the future, on the three main sections of the Rail Baltica project in Lithuania – 1) PL/LT border-Kaunas, 2) Kaunas node missing links, 3) Kaunas-LT/LV border.

Since 2005 Viesturs Celiņš has gained experience in urban development in New York, Kazan, Helsinki, Oslo and Riga. He is a lecturer in Riga Stratidiņu University and Riga Technical University Summer School of Architecture. Has conducted research work in the fields of city development, design and strategic analyses. Viesturs Celmiņs holds Fulbright Scholarship The New School (2005) and ESRC Scoolarship at University of Cambridge Doctorate (2011).

Viesturs Celmiņš in his presentation will highlight the idea, form and development process of the exposition. The Baltic Pavilion is representing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2016. Special focus will be given to infrastructure as a new challange for cooperation in the Baltic region.